Serpentine Runner Alex Vero has set himself the ambitious target of finishing inside 2 hrs 15 mins in the 2008 London Marathon (and being in the first three UK men). See his website
http://www.theroadtobeijing.co.uk/roadtobeijing.htm for more details.
He has made good progress so far, seeing his half marathon time drop by 20 minutes in the past year, to just over 1 hr 15 mins in February 2007. However, he has suffered some setbacks along the way, including yesterday’s Reading Half, where he finished just inside 1 hour 22 mins.
He is aiming for 2 hrs 30 mins at the Paris marathon on 15th April.
Whether or not he succeeds, his improvement thus far has been impressive.
Does his story inspire you, or does the extravagance and public nature of his ambition in some way belittle the achievements of other runners (even if unintentionally)?
Comments
If he has got the skill to be in the top 3 runners I think he's got a right to a spot of publicity? I don't know what kind of a person he is. I like it when successful people are still a bit humble about it and have regard for the achievements of others.
I don't know how I would feel if I were that good and saw him as competition. I assume in that came my life would be totally assmed by running and perhaps I would feel different? I don't know.
I don't know him but he's probably worked very very hard for it so i wish him well.
It has motivated me to train a bit better as 12 months ago he was slower than me over a half.
I think where the dreaming takes a more public form, then it becomes a bit uncomfortable for onlookers. Do we say what we really think, or is that impolite or mean spirited?
There’s another aspect to this that disturbs me a bit. It’s exemplified by the current popularity of the “Celebrity” shows like yesterday’s “Jo Brand plays the organ in front of 5,000 people after only 4 months practice”. Never mind that professionals hone their craft over a lifetime, why not give it a bash? Most of the notes were played in the right order, even if they weren’t all played at the right time. Impressive - a bit like the dog dancing on its hind legs.
I'm always inspired by the tales of ordinary folk like Tracey Morris. I suppose I prefer my heroes to be quiet and self-effacing. I don’t really care whether Vero succeeds or not, but I’d rather he shuts up about it until he does.
I suspect however he will find that training and determination will only take him so far and then gentic makeup will prove to be the limiting factor.
1:15 for a half is nothing special in the context of marathon running at speed equating to only 2:40 -2:45. Taking 30 minutes off those times is where it gets really hard..........................:-)))
It's very different to Jo Brand playing the organ, if he runs a 2:15 marathon, or even 2:30 for that matter it is hardly insulting to anyone. He has got all the notes very much in the right place, and at the right time. Doesn't matter if other runners have struggled for years, he'll have still put the work in and got the times.
As for Tracey Morris, she is a different case having been a very talented athlete when she was younger.
I'm inspired and watching with interest.
I too got lapped by the winner during a half marathon and, like Namaste, I though WOW!
If he makes it (and I hope he does or at least gets close) then it says to me that with determination, a bit of luck and lots and lots of hard work, you can do just about anything. Which should be a cause for celebration.
I absolutely fail to see how this denigrates elite athletes. They are still human beings - why do we 'need' them to be better than us to still be special. Unless it is as an excuse for not excelling ourselves.
I think what some people might find insulting is a three-hour marathon runner saying that, give it two or three years' hard work and a bit of talent, and you can be ranked top three in the UK. What does he think other dedicated athletes are doing? Watching the TV and eating doughnuts?
If he does it, then obviously nobody would be insulted but, as TS says, going from 2:45 to 2:15 is an order of magnitude different from getting down to 2:45 in the first place (which he hasn't done yet).
Personally, good luck to the guy. I believe he'll do it. And it's just ordinary people like that, aiming to do an extraordinary thing, who inspire me to reach some damn high heights in running, in the future, too.
good luck to him
For a more full and frank discussion of him check out:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1791882&page=0
http://uniathletics.proboards76.com/index.cgi?board=exactly&action=display&thread=1172957983
If he succeeds then what can anybody take away from him? He'll have won a personal victory and become a folk hero to many along the way.
If he gets somewhere near, but doesn't hit his ultimate goals then the elite will be reinforced (in my eyes) as somewhat God like, and he will have demonstrated what one man can really achieve - and thus be inspirational to me.
The proof of the pudding...
I did notice he had a fairly good 10k but not that fast and wondered if he has the basic speed to run sub 5 min miling for 26.2 miles.
He is not making it seem easy unless he does come up with the goods.
For people who have already run 2:15 or 2:30 I congratulate you - you have proved yourself at the highest level in my eyes.
For such people to be insulted or threatened by words not backed up with actions strikes me as a little fragile on the ego front.
There was a similar example of a 38 year old runner who said he was going to be the first M40 to run an outdoor 4 minute mile - something which eluded the likes of John Walker and Dave Moorcroft.
It's this sort of arrogance which irritates me. It's one thing to be confident of one's own ability - providing that confidence is borne of a realistic assessment of what you think you are capable of. It's something else just to think that if you say it often enough and loud enough, it's going to happen. I've no time for people who are so blinded by there own ambitions that they just can't see that they are unachievable.
Runners who are capable of reaching such targets as 4 minute miles and 2:15 marathons (and sub 50min 10 miles for that matter!) don't get there by starting from lowly club runner roots. They tend to hit the ground running within six months of coming into the sport - even at that early stage their talent and potential is plain to see, eg Dan Robinson, Micheal Colman and Felicity Milton.
So these overambitious underachievers are destined for a lifetime of disappointment.
I'll probably return to this topic on the 6th April, the day of the Folkestone 10M.
If you run the sort of times I do you're a local hero, but run any faster and you're a national disgrace:
to the red tops "Paula beats all the British Men"
to informed letter writers to the comic (Athletics Weekly) "back in 1983 I ran 2:13 for 10th Brit at London, and on the Tuesday Nike wrote to cancel my shoe deal"
to BBC commentators who show no interest or patriotism at all.
Vero has stated in an email that if he doesn't run 2:30 at Paris in three weeks he will give up.
"The problem is that although I might not be at a 2:30 standard yet I would prefer to go for it and if I fail then at least I know that I have given everything of myself since I started back in January 2006. If I aimed for 2:35 and got it great, well done, but no one will fund the documentary and it will be over anyway."
That is where I find the problem. He's not playing the same game as the rest of us. We're running because it's what we do. We love it, and want to be the best we can, for many of us it is by far and away the most important thing in our lives (rightly or wrongly). He's giving it a go, and when he fails will move on to the next bit of documentary making.
If this guy can achieve his goal then good for him. I wish i was brave enough to stand up and say i would do it. it takes guts.
I'm sure MikeB can describe just how hard (and I mean really hard!!) it is to run sub 2:15 for a marathon.
well
i respect you sir!!!!!!!!!!!!
But you and me are in the same situation - we work full time, and are trying to be the best we can within our limits. We both know there are no short cuts, and I respect you since you love running no less than me and also put everything in.
anyway
I agree with you about thr giving up bit
it--well its doesnt compute
am being polite
We've had a few people pop up on here over the years with similar aspirations. I'm not sure any of them have done what they targetted though.
(apologies if they did and I missed it though)
Given his business I think an overly ambitous project is the only one that makes sense. I am impressed by what he has achieved but I think he will ultimately fail.
Whether in sports, or music or academia, there will always be some who somehow have to work less hard for the same results. At uni there were some who would revise for months and still get the same grades than someone who just did a night of cramming. Doesn't feel fair but such is life.
But seems this guy works hard on what he's trying to achieve. I had a look at his sight and I didn't think he was being unduly smug or anything? If he falls off what some people seem to perceive as his high horse than it will be a pretty public humiliation and I do think its a little sad that some people would rub their hands in glee if he failed.
I wish him well anyway.
Stuart: To one of the earlier posters saying they 'know they will never be an elite athlete' - it's quite ironic. Here you have a seemingly ordinary runner who has set himself a high goal to reach, who before it, may have been in the category of never becoming an elite runner too, but it's not stopped him before he started.
That was me who posted that and I agree with you its great he's trying. I know for a fact that I'll never be an elite runner, not only because I recognise my biomechanical, financial and time limitations, but more importantly, because I wouldn't be prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to get that good, and for that I respect him and anyone else who is that passionate about somehting. :-)